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What It Really Means to Keep God’s Word

by Steve Barwick

Most people think keeping God’s Word means studious obedience to the commandments. But

that’s not the case. Obedience to God’s commandments is vital, of course. It keeps sin at bay. It

brings about God’s manifold blessings. And it makes for a very happy life in the long run.

But that’s not what it means to “keep God’s Word.” And knowing what it actually means sheds

new light on what’s entailed in your job for the Lord in the final days of this flesh earth age.

So in the course of this study, let’s take a good long look at that phrase “keep God’s Word,” and in

particular, at both the Hebrew and Greek definitions of the word “keep” and how the word is used

throughout key Bible passages. I promise, it will open up your understanding of your primary

duty to your heavenly Father in the final days of this flesh earth age as the modern church

continues its headlong freefall into apostasy.

The New Testament Greek word most often translated “keep” (in relation to keeping God’s Word)

is Strong’s 5083, tereo, which means “a watch,” as in the military term “standing watch.” But

more specifically, it means or “to guard from loss or injury by keeping the eye upon it.”

G5083

ω

t re

tay-reh'-o

rom ς teros (a watch; perhaps akin to G2334); to guard (from loss or injury,

properly by keeping the eye upon.

It’s the Greek equivalent to the Hebrew word shamar (Strong’s 8104) which is first used in

Genesis 2:15 and which has virtually the identical meaning to tereo, i.e., “to hedge about” and “to

guard, protect, attend to, observe, watch over.”

In other words, Christians are to keep God’s Word by watching over it with open eyes and

guarding it from loss or injury.

Keeping that definition in mind, let’s begin our study on this topic in the great book of Revelation,

chapter 22:18-19...

Rev 22:18 -- For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this

book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are

written in this book:

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Rev 22:19 -- And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy,

God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the

things which are written in this book.

The Scripture says it’s an extremely serious and potentially life-threatening offense to distort

God’s Word by adding anything to it, or by subtracting anything from it. As God’s faithful

servants, we’re to watch over God’s Word like a military sentry, and preserve it exactly as it’s

written.

Man tends to add his vain religious traditions to God’s Word, such as holding Ishtar (i.e., Easter)

celebrations instead of holding the proper, Bible-based celebration of Passover. Or teaching little

children that Eve at an apple, when the word “apple” appears nowhere in the Genesis account of

the Garden of Eden, and what Eve actually partook of (i.e., the forbidden fruit known as adultery)

resulted in the birth of a murderous child named Cain (I John 3:12; John 8:42-44).

Modern church tradition also teaches God’s children to await the any-moment-now rapture

“Jesus” (who comes at the sixth trumpet and is actually the antichrist), instead of teaching God’s

children to faithfully wait for the advent of the true Lord and Savior Jesus Christ which does not

happen until the 7th

trump. This puts virtually every Christian who believes that “Jesus can come

at any moment now” in direct opposition to what the Bible actually says (II Thessalonians 2:1-4).

What’s more, modern Christians tend to gloss over, or worse yet, completely eliminate those parts

of God’s Word that don’t fit in with their church traditions.

For example, the Scriptures about the false Jews and their blasphemies (i.e., Revelation 2:9 and

3:9) are almost never discussed in church. Why? Because church tradition contradicts God’s

Word on the matter. Church tradition teaches that the synagogue Jews of today are “God’s chosen

people” -- a people who, by their own admission, hate, loathe and despise Jesus Christ, Who as

we’ll see in this study, is God in the flesh. The Scripture tells us that God’s chosen people of this

final generation are actually believers in Christ (Galations 3:7-9), not unbelievers (II Corinthians

6:14-18).

So religious tradition dilutes and distorts the truth of God’s Word. And it’s the job of God’s

faithful servants to set the record straight and keep it set straight. We’re to guard God’s Word

from loss or injury by keeping a watchful eye upon it, and correcting the mis-teachings wherever

possible.

Because of the plethora of additions to God’s Word and omissions from God’s Word in the

churches, God’s children of this final generation are either completely oblivious to what His Word

actually states on most key topics, or they’re so thoroughly deceived on those topics by church

tradition replacing what God’s Word actually says, that their very souls are at risk.

That’s precisely why our heavenly Father has told us to preserve His Word unmarred...to guard

over it and protect it from loss or injury through careful watchfulness.

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When we fail to do so, the only ones that it ultimately harms are our own children, and their

progeny. In other words, when we fail to do our duty to “keep God’s Word,” future generations

grow up with a grossly distorted view of God’s Word that ultimately estranges them from Jesus

Christ and from our heavenly Father and His eternal family household.

When You “Keep” God’s Word

Blessings and Persecutions Follow

When you work to watch over and guard God’s Word from loss or injury, two important things

happen:

One, you’re blessed immensely by your heavenly Father. The blessings, as you’re about to see

below, are absolutely astonishing.

And two, you’re persecuted by our old adversary the devil for refusing to cave in to the growing

body of false doctrine and religious traditions that make God’s Word void.

So let’s start this study by taking a quick look at the blessings from God and the persecution from

Satan that comes to those who “keep” God’s Word by watching over it with open eyes and

preserving it from loss or injury.

We’ll start in Revelation chapter three, with the blessings from God upon those who “keep” His

Word. Then we’ll go to Revelation chapter 12 to understand the persecutions from Satan that can

be expected by those who faithfully “keep” the Lord’s Word.

Revelation 3:

The Blessings for “Keeping” God’s Word

In the following verses, Christ Himself is addressing the faithful church of Philadelphia, which

was one of the major Christian churches of St. John’s time that stood firmly grounded in His Word,

watching over it and guarding it from loss or injury.

Let’s take a quick look at what our Lord and Savior has to say to the faithful church of

Philadelphia:

Rev 3:7 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is

holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth;

and shutteth, and no man openeth;

Here Christ identifies Himself, letting us know that He’s the heir of David destined to inherit all

things. He’s also in control of who gets into His eternal kingdom, and who doesn’t. He holds the

key to salvation. And He’s addressing the faithful Philadelphia church.

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Rev 3:8 I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can

shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.

The word “know” in the above verse is translated from the Greek word eido (i.e., Strong’s

G-1492), which means to know something by careful observation. In other words, Christ is

saying to the church of Philadelphia “I’ve observed your works.” He keeps His eyes on all of His

servants and notes their works, good or bad.

It’s important to understand that Christ spells out two key criteria in this verse for having the “open

door” of wisdom, knowledge and eternal life set before you. One, you must “keep” His Word

(i.e., “and hast kept my word”). And two, you must not deny His name when it comes your time

to be delivered up to testify at those great trials described in Mark chapter 13.

The word “kept” in the above verse is our Greek word tereo (i.e., Strong’s G-5083), meaning to

“watch over in order to guard from loss or injury,” i.e., to preserve unmarred by guarding over

with open eyes.

So in this verse Christ tells us that the ongoing act of preserving His Word unmarred (which is to

say, not adding religious traditions in to His Word, nor throwing anything out of His Word), is

critical to His view of your faithfulness.

What’s more, not caving in to the temptation to deny His name when you’re under pressure to do

so is also critical to His view of your faithfulness. These are the two main criteria that bring you

into His presence and trigger the blessings we’re about to take a look at as we move along in these

verses.

Next, our Lord goes on to make a revelation that the vast majority of the Christian church today

either leaves out of their teachings, or misteaches.

Rev 3:9 Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews,

and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to

know that I have loved thee.

For the most part, the synagogue Jews of today are a people who only claim to be Jews. But in

reality, they’re not of the Biblical tribe of Judah at all. Nor are they of any of other 11 tribes of

Israel. They’re simply lying. In other words, they’re play-acting the role of Jews, i.e.,

pretending to be members of the Biblical tribe of Judah, when in reality they’re not even remotely

of God’s chosen people. Those are not my words, beloved. They’re your Lord and Savior’s. So

you ought to pay particular attention to the verse above if your church teaches differently.

As Christ’s half-brother, St. Jude, had warned many years earlier, “For there are certain men crept

in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the

grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ”

(Jude 1:4).

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If they claim to be a Jew...attend synagogue...and deny our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ...then

they’re probably of these “certain men crept in unawares.”

The word “unawares,” as used by St. Jude, is translated from the Greek word pareisduno (i.e.,

Strong’s G-3921) which means “to lodge stealthily alongside.”

Yes, the false Jews -- who are actually descendants of Cain -- crept right into Jerusalem long ago,

and worked their ways into the synagogues, and gradually took them over. They’re the very same

money-changer “Jews” Christ drove out of the temple with a whip. And they’re the very same

“Jews” who, with murder in their hearts from their ancient father, Cain, incited the mobs to scream

“Crucify Him!” when Christ was being tried by Pilate, who wanted to allow Christ to go free.

It’s important to understand that our elder brother Judah largely Christianized long ago – that is to

say, the tribe of Judah converted from Judaism to Christianity when the Gospel message was first

spread throughout the world. They recognized Christ as the Messiah of God, and embraced the

Gospel message.

But the synagogue Jews did not. They remained true to the Talmud and other so-called “holy

books” of Judaism which claim that Jesus Christ was a fake messiah.

So in the two verses we’ve looked at above, Jesus says He’s going to make the false Jews know

beyond any shadow of a doubt that the ones He loves are those who have “kept” His Word, which

is to say, have guarded over His Word with open eyes in order to preserve it from loss or injury.

These are otherwise known as God’s elect, beloved.

Rev 3:10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the

hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the

earth.

There’s our key words “kept” and “keep” again. In both cases they’re translated from the Greek

word tereo (i.e., Strong’s G-5083) meaning “to watch over so as to guard from loss or injury,”

which is to say, to preserve unmarred by watching over with open eyes.

This faithful church of Philadelphia -- which represents God’s elect servants of the final generation

-- had “kept” God’s “word of patience.” In the original Greek tongue, that means they stood

watch over God’s Word of patient endurance and didn’t let the long passage of time distort or

dilute the original meaning of His Word.

While other churches, over the long course of time, caved in to political correctness and allowed

the false Jews to portray themselves as “God’s chosen people,” this church stood firmly in the

truth, refusing to be conformed to empty church tradition or even remotely allowing God’s Word

to be diluted with falsehood.

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In other words, they stayed true to the Word of God.

In return for keeping that crucial message about the false Jews alive -- without loss of meaning,

and without empty religious tradition added in to muddle up the meaning -- Christ makes the

following promise to the members of this faithful church: “I also will keep thee from the hour of

temptation, which shall come upon all of the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.”

Wow. Think about that. By refusing to cave in to empty religious traditions, but instead

guarding and preserving God’s Word unmarred, our Lord and Savior will preserve you unmarred

from the hour of temptation, which is Satan’s “hour” on this earth in the final days of this flesh age,

just before Christ’s Second Advent.

In other words, Christ won’t let you fall during the great tribulation. And it’s all because you

didn’t let His Word fall when false doctrine and church tradition began to creep in and replace it

over the long course of time.

During the great tribulation of the antichrist, the faith of the whole world will be tried. But God’s

faithful servants will be guarded and preserved from falling during that precarious time in which

Satan arrives to this earth at the very seat of the false Jews in Jerusalem, and “deceives the whole

world” into worshiping him as the Messiah of God (Revelation 12:9; Revelation 13:8).

Rev 3:11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy

crown.

Here Christ tells the faithful church of Philadelphia that when it’s time for His second advent,

everything is going to happen very quickly. And at that time they’ll need to “hold that fast” (i.e.,

“use strength to retain”) their knowledge of God’s Word, for such will be the pressure to fall into

line with the rest of the world and worship the antichrist.

In other words, the time will come when there will be a lot of pressure to refrain from manning the

sentry post over God’s Word and preserving it unmarred. The temptation to go along with the

crowd and even to deny the Lord Jesus Christ and accept with open arms the false Christ, which is

Satan in his role as the antichrist, will be great.

But God’s faithful servants will not do so. They’ll faithfully continue to stand the sentry watch

over God’s Word and preserve it exactly as it’s written, just as the faithful church of Philadelphia

did centuries ago.

Rev 3:12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall

go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of

my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I

will write upon him my new name.

The rewards are awesome, beloved, for keeping God’s Word (i.e., for guarding over it with a

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watchful eye and preserving it unmarred by false doctrine and empty religious tradition) as well as

for refusing to deny His name when the false Christ arrives. It’s these two distinctive

characteristics that make you an overcomer, beloved. In the Greek tongue, the word “overcomer”

means a conqueror. You conquer Satan and his helpers by keeping God’s Word.

Your first reward for “keeping” God’s Word is that you get to dwell in the temple of God with the

Lord Himself. Not just dwell there, but become a “pillar,” which is to say, a most prominent

member.

Christ says He’ll also write God’s name upon you, which means He’s going to write you into the

eternal family household. He’s putting His name on you. He’s the Son of God, and you’re part

of His body. And just as He carries God’s name (the name “Jesus” is Yahshuah in the Hebrew

language, meaning “YHVH Savior”) so too will you carry God’s name as a family sign of respect.

Yes, just as an earthly child generally carries his or her father’s surname, so in the eternity you’ll

carry God’s name (more on that later in the study when we visit John chapter 17).

The above verse tells us that He’s also going to write upon you the name of the eternal city of God,

meaning you’ll be a citizen of the eternity -- a member in good standing of His eternal family

household.

As background, the eternal city of New Jerusalem will indeed have a new name at that time. That

new name is “YHVH Shamah,” meaning “the Lord is there,” or, even better translated, “the

Self-Existent One is there” (Ezekiel 48:35). Since your heavenly Father YHVH dwells within you

through the in-dwelling of the Holy Spirit, it’s quite an appropriate name to have written upon you

at that time. Think about it. Meditate on it. This is actually pretty deep stuff. When God

writes the name of His city upon you -- YHVH Shamah -- He’s saying you’re part and parcel of

that eternal city. You’re a brick in the city wall, so to speak.

You see, in Revelation 21:2, when we’re told, “And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem,

coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband,” that means

the city of God, new Jerusalem, is composed of people, rather than of brick-and-mortar buildings.

Come with me into the spiritual realm on this. We’ll be in the spiritual dimension at that time, not

the physical dimension. So don’t think in physical terms. aithful Christian overcomers will be

the spiritual “bricks” (so to speak) that make up the eternal city. The faithful body of Christ is the

city known as New Jerusalem. And that city will be renamed “YHVH is there” because He

dwells within each and every one of us.

In short, this verse certifies, straight from the mouth of Jesus Christ, that those who “keep His

Word” now, in this flesh age, will then become an intricate part of His eternal dwelling place in the

spiritual age to come.

inally, Christ is going to write upon you His new name. You’ll find that new name written in

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Revelation 19:13. It’s “The Word of God.” Don’t let it throw you. Having His new name

written upon you simply means you’re a certified faithful carrier or His Word. You “kept” that

Word. You watched over it with open eyes, jealously guarded it, and never allowed it to suffer

loss or injury. Therefore, it will be written upon you, and upon all faithful Christian overcomers.

The Word of God, in essence, becomes coded into your being. If I can use computer terminology

for a moment, God’s Word becomes your spiritual operating system at that time. It will be your

spiritual “DNA.”

Rev 3:13 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Do you have an ear to hear what the Holy Spirit is saying unto the churches? If you can’t grasp

the enormity of what you’ve just learned, set it aside and meditate on it later. It’s a beautiful

message, beloved. God’s going to be putting a lot of trust and responsibility in you at that time, in

return for your faithfulness to His Word, today. But you have to earn it now, to obtain it then.

The bottom line is that when you “keep God’s Word” in this flesh age, you’ll be blessed

immensely in the age to come for having done so. As it’s written in Psalm 37:34, “Wait on the

LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off,

thou shalt see it.” In that verse the word “keep” is translated from the Hebrew word we looked at

earlier, shamar (i.e., Strong’s H-8104), which is the Hebrew equivalent of the Greek word for

“keep,” tereo, which we’ve been studying. It too means “to guard, protect, attend to, watch over.”

When we keep His word, He exalts us (i.e., promotes us in rank) to inherit the land. We even get

to see the wicked ones, Satan and his children, go down in the lake of fire at the great white throne

judgment.

But while keeping God’s Word today earns you a high position in the kingdom after Christ’s

Second Advent, it automatically makes you an enemy of Satan in this flesh age. After all, Satan’s

job is to tangle God’s Word up in false doctrine and religious traditions so that Christians will

unwittingly become estranged through deception from God and His family household.

And he’ll do his part to trip you up, through persecution, both now, and particularly when he

arrives in his role as the false Christ. Why? Because when he arrives, he finds you doing

something he abhors -- watchfully guarding over and preserving the very Word of God he wants to

tear down.

Revelation 12:

The Persecution for “Keeping” God’s Word

Now that we’ve looked at the awesome blessings for “keeping” God’s Word by watching over it

and guarding it from loss or injury, let’s take a quick look at the persecution God’s faithful

servants will have to endure for their faithfulness to His Word and for their readiness to preserve it

unmarried by false doctrine and religious tradition.

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And while we’re looking at the persecution Satan will bring against us, let’s also keep our eyes

peeled for that key word again, i.e., “keep”:

Rev 12:7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon;

and the dragon fought and his angels,

Many of you know these passages by heart. So I’ll keep the explanation simple. In the final days

of this flesh earth age, Michael and the faithful angels of Jesus Christ do battle in heaven against

the dragon and his fallen angels. It’s that simple. It’s war in heaven. But as you’ll see it’s about

to spill over onto the earth.

Rev 12:8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.

Satan and his fallen angels lose the battle. They’re no match for Michael the archangel and the

faithful angels of Jesus Christ.

Rev 12:9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan,

which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were

cast out with him.

Satan and his fallen angels will be cast out of heaven, and down onto this earth, physically. You’ll

be able to see them with your own eyes when they arrive onto the scene in Jerusalem, where the

false Jews will proclaim them to be the Lord Most High and His angels. God’s faithful elect

know better, however.

Rev 12:10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and

strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our

brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

Satan’s expulsion from heaven and subsequent arrival to this earth signals Christ’s Second

Advent.

We know from II Thessalonians 2:1-4 that Satan arrives to this earth shortly before Jesus Christ,

and that his arrival causes mass worldwide apostasy, which is to say, Christians of this world flock

to embrace him, erroneously believing him to be Jesus.

Members of other religions will also flock to embrace him, believing him to be the promised savior

of their own religion. Every religion is waiting for a savior, beloved. The Muslims have their

Madhi, for example. The Hindu have their Kalki. Even the Buddhists believe a “ ifth Buddha”

named Maitreya is coming to show them the way. And the false Jews have a messiah they believe

will lead to Jewish conquest of the entire world.

Now listen up for me:

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Rev 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their

testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

Christ’s faithful servants know God’s Word intimately, because they put the very focus of their

being upon His Word rather than upon church tradition. And they faithfully stand watchful guard

over it. So they won’t fall to Satan’s wiles when he arrives. They stick with the blood of the

Passover Lamb of God. And they refuse to accept the false messiah and the many benefits he’ll

be promising the people of this world for following him (Daniel 11:24).

What’s more, Christ’s faithful servants will allow the Lord to speak through them (i.e., “by the

word of their testimony”) at those trials described in Mark 13, even while under penalty of death

from Satan for failing to bow the knee to him (Romans 11:4-5).

But they don’t fear or falter at all, even under penalty of death, because they know the Word of

God has warned them in advance how it will be in those days. As it’s written, “And ye shall be

hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be

saved” (Mark 13:13). And also “...ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake. But there

shall not an hair of your head perish” (Luke 21:17-18).

In other words, Christ’s faithful servants are prepared in advance -- mentally and spiritually --

stand firmly in Christ’s redeeming blood and on the solid foundation of the Word of God, which

they watchfully guard over and protect from loss or injury. And they won’t let go of either one.

Therefore, Satan’s empty threats mean nothing to them. Their strength is in the Lord and His

Word.

Rev 12:12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters

of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath,

because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.

Once Satan arrives to this earth with his fallen angels, he’ll only have “but a short time” to work his

great deception.

Revelation 9:11 tells us that Satan – referred to in that verse as the “angel of the bottomless pit” as

well as Abaddon (i.e., destruction) and Apollyon (i.e., destroyer) – will only have five months to

work his great deception on the people of this earth (see Revelation 9:5 and 9:10).

Rev 12:13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the

woman which brought forth the man child.

Here comes the persecution. The “woman which brought forth the man child,” of course, is

mother Mary. Just as she conceived through the power of the Holy Spirit and carried the Living

Word of God in her bosom, so God’s faithful servants of these end days carry the unmarred Word

of God in their bosoms. They do so through daily study, and through the power and in-dwelling

presence of the Holy Spirit.

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That means you, like the blessed virgin Mary, have been impregnated (spiritually speaking) with

the Word of God. And Satan hates you for it. At his arrival, he’ll begin persecuting those who

“keep” (i.e., watch over and guard from loss or injury) God’s Word and refuse to abort it during the

great worldwide apostasy his arrival to this earth triggers.

Rev 12:14 And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly

into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a

time, from the face of the serpent.

God takes care of His own. Just as He warned Joseph and Mary in a dream to take the Holy Child

to Egypt when Herod was murdering the most recently born babies in an attempt to prevent the

first advent of the Lord, so your heavenly Father will intervene supernaturally to protect you, the

“woman” (i.e., Christ’s wife) who carries God’s precious Word in her bosom and guards over it.

I’m speaking spiritually, of course. I hope you can understand the analogy. You “keep” His

Word and He’ll use it to nourish you and protect you from Satan. It’s really that simple. That’s

why you never want to allow His Word to be diluted or otherwise distorted. Your future blessings

and protection depend upon it. Indeed, your eternal life depends upon it.

Rev 12:15 And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he

might cause her to be carried away of the flood.

This is what’s often referred to as Satan’s great flood of lies. Just as Christ’s Word is known as

the “living waters” or “water of life,” so Satan’s words are symbolized as the raging flood waters

of death. Like a physical flood that destroys everything in its path, Satan’s flood of lies brings

only spiritual destruction to all who unwittingly allow themselves to be swept away by it.

Rev 12:16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and

swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.

You know when this happens, beloved. At Christ’s Second Advent that great earthquake strikes

Jerusalem, and Satan’s 7,000 fallen angels who carry his deceptive words to the people of this

earth are slain in an instant (Revelation 11:13). Simultaneously, the “remant,” which is to say,

God’s faithful servants, give glory to Him for intervening on their behalf.

Like the Korahites of Old Testament times who arrogantly and presumptuously stood against

Moses and were swallowed up in a great earthquake (Numbers 16:31-35), so Satan’s fallen angels

– his brash and arrogant mouthpieces on this earth -- will be swallowed up and destroyed in a great

quake from God, as well. And it will happen right there in Jerusalem at the Lord’s Second Advent.

That will put a sudden screeching halt to Satan’s flood of lies.

Now sharpen up, beloved. Here comes that word “keep” again:

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Rev 12:17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the

remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of

Jesus Christ.

Satan takes his warfare (i.e., spiritual battle, or spiritual persecution) to the “remnant of her seed,”

which is to say, to God’s faithful servants of the final days of this flesh earth age who “keep” His

commandments (i.e., guard His Word from loss or injury by careful watch) and who possess the

testimony of Jesus Christ.

The “remnant of her seed” is that very same “seed” of the final generation which is spoken of in

Psalms 22: “A seed shall serve Him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation. They

shall come, and shall declare His righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that He hath

done this.”

Yes, at those trials described in Mark 13, that precious “seed” of faithful believers known as God’s

elect will “declare His righteousness” unto the people of this final generation. This will happen

when they’re delivered up to those trials described in Mark chapter 13, “for a testimony against”

the rulers and kings of this earth who will at that time have sold their souls to the devil himself.

And yes, of course, that word “keep” in the verse above is once again our key word for this study,

translated from the Greek word we’ve been looking at, tereo (i.e., Strong’s G-5083), meaning to

“watch over so as guard from loss or injury,” i.e., to preserve unmarred by watching over.

The faithful servants of God “keep” God’s Word, and possess “the testimony of Jesus Christ,”

which is to say, the Gospel truth. Therefore, they’ll be targeted by Satan, and ultimately arrested

and delivered up to those trials described in Mark 13. But they’ll be saved by Jesus Christ after

He speaks through their lips at those trials (Mark 13:11), for it’s their destiny to do so.

And that’s what “keeping God’s Word” is all about, beloved.

It’s not merely about obeying God and His Word. It’s much more than that. It’s preserving His

Word from loss or injury by watching over it and jealously guarding it, like one would guard a

precious jewel from theft or harm. To put it succinctly, it means to teach His Word exactly as it’s

written, without leaving anything out or adding anything in.

So again, much more than mere obedience, it’s total preservation of the Word of God from the

forces that seek to substitute false doctrine and empty religious tradition in its place. That’s what

the Lord wants from us. And that’s what we’re going to deliver.

So now you know that when you keep (i.e., guard from loss or injury by watching over) God’s

Word, you’ll be immensely blessed by your heavenly ather. But you’ll also be persecuted by

Satan, because you’re what’s standing in his way as he attempts to corrupt the true meaning of

God’s Word and thereby deceive God’s children into worshipping him.

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As it’s written of Satan’s actions when he arrives to this earth in chapter 13 of the great book of

Revelation:

Rev 13:5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies;

and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.

Rev 13:6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name,

and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.

Rev 13:7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them:

and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.

Rev 13:8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not

written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

Rev 13:9 If any man have an ear, let him hear.

If you’ve got ears to hear God’s message to His faithful servants, this big-mouthed false messiah is

who you need to be prepared to stand against. Keep in mind that he knows our flesh and spiritual

weaknesses. But that’s why God gave you the Gospel armor of Ephesians chapter 6, i.e., “to

stand against the wiles of the devil” and to “quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.”

This is why you need to be knowledgeable enough in God’s Word to watch over it and preserve it

from loss or injury. Satan is a big mouth. He’s a liar. He’s a play actor. And he’s going to do

everything in his power to distort God’s Word and promote himself as the “Christ” of this earth.

It’s utter blasphemy. But it will deceive most of the world’s population, thanks to the astonishing

miracles he’ll perform at that time.

As it’s written in Revelation 13:13-14, “And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come

down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by

the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast...”

In closing, we’ll take a look at Christ’s beautiful prayer to the ather on behalf of His faithful

servants. And in that prayer we’ll learn a bit more about what it means to keep God’s Word, and

what the benefits are for so doing.

Christ’s Beautiful Prayer for His Elect

This prayer, which is found in John chapter 17, is also known as the “ arewell Prayer,” because

Christ prayed it just before He was crucified. It’s the longest prayer by Christ in any of the four

gospels.

It’s also frequently referred to as the “High Priestly Prayer,” for the simple reason that Jesus Christ

is our eternal High Priest “after the order of Melchizedek” (Hebrews 5:6), and one of the High

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Priest’s jobs is to pray for the well-being of God’s faithful servants. It’s called intercessory

prayer.

You’re going to see certain key words repeated in this prayer, including our words “keep” and

“kept.” It’s good to check into the meanings of all of those key words, for the deeper message

provided. They make the prayer all of the more touching and meaningful. So let’s take a look.

Joh 17:1 These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the

hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee:

The hour had come for Christ’s betrayal and public trial, followed by His crucifixion and

resurrection. He asks the Father to use the crucifixion and resurrection to glorify (i.e., honor,

esteem) Him, that He might in turn glorify God the Father through His great act of redemption.

Joh 17:2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as

many as thou hast given him.

The words “given” and “give” are used three times in the above verse. Each time they’re

translated from the Greek word did mi (i.e., Strong’s G-1325) meaning to bestow upon, or to

commit to.

God bestowed upon Christ Jesus “power over all flesh” that Christ might in turn bestow upon us

eternal life. In other words, Christ would provide the opportunity for salvation to God’s children

through the fulfillment of the law of the kinsman redeemer. That means He’s your closest relative

who can pay the price for your sins and shortcomings through blood redemption.

Joh 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus

Christ, whom thou hast sent.

The word “know” in this verse is translated from the Greek word gin sk (i.e., Strong’s G-1097),

meaning absolute or unshakeable knowledge.

God’s faithful servants know the true God and His Christ from the false one. They know that

Satan arrives to this earth first, in his deceptive role as the antichrist, or better translated, the

instead-of-Christ, because he comes in Christ’s stead in order to deceive the world.

You’re not going to get Christ’s faithful servants to let go of that knowledge no matter how hard

you might try. It’s written. Therefore they believe it. And you can’t bribe them with a fake

fly-away “rapture” doctrine to change their minds. They know better than to add into God’s

Word church traditions and doctrine that are not written there.

Joh 17:4 I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me

to do.

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The word “work” in the above verse is translated from the Greek word ergon (i.e., Strong’s

G-2041), meaning “toil” or “labor.”

The word “gavest” in the above verse is translated from the Greek word did mi (i.e., Strong’s

G-1325) meaning to bestow upon, or to commit to.

God bestowed upon Christ Jesus the work (i.e., toil, labor) of providing the opportunity for

salvation to His children, through the fulfillment of the law of the kinsman redeemer, meaning

He’s your closest relative who can pay the price for your sins and shortcomings should you

willingly accept and embrace Him.

Joh 17:5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I

had with thee before the world was.

We’ll speak of the glory Christ had with the ather “before the world was” in just a moment. But

we need to grasp the following verse, first:

Joh 17:6 I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world:

thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word.

There’s a LOT in the above two verses, beloved. And I’m hesitant to go into everything, because

I don’t want to get too far off track of the topic of what it means to “keep God’s Word.” But let’s

see what we can do to keep it as simple as possible. You’ll have to put on your spiritual eyes and

ears for this, and let you mind go back to what you learned in Revelation chapter three, earlier,

when we studied the astonishing blessings afforded to those who “keep” God’s Word.

In the above verse, Christ states to the ather, in prayer, that He has “manifested thy name unto the

men which thou gavest me.”

The word “manifested” in the above verse is translated from the Greek word phanero (i.e.,

Strong’s G-5319), meaning “to render apparent.” It can also mean to “declare,” or to “show one’s

self.” In other words, the flesh man, Jesus Christ, is telling the heavenly ather, “I’ve let them

know who you are.”

You see, our heavenly Father is made known through His name. Our heavenly ather’s name is

not “God.” Nor is it “Lord.” Those are just English titles we use for Him. They’re very

appropriate titles. But titles, nonetheless.

His name is not even Jehovah. That’s a close English translation of His Hebrew name. But

there’s no letter “J” in the Hebrew language. And there are no vowels, either.

In the Hebrew language, our heavenly ather’s sacred name is YHVH, pronounced Yah-veh, or

sometimes Yah-ha-veh. It’s from a Hebrew tetragrammation that means “I will be what I will

be.” Or more familiarly translated, “I am that I am.” And it can be summed up in the term “the

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self-existent one” (see Strong’s H-3068).

Our heavenly Father is the only being who is self-existent. There are many supernatural beings in

the heavens. But there are no self-existent beings other than our heavenly Father. We were all

created by Him, and we’re all dependent upon Him for our existence.

Yes, we can live eternally, if we’re faithful to Him and to His Word, which is to say, if we work to

“keep” (i.e., preserve from loss or injury by watching over) His Word. But enjoying eternal life is

not the same thing as being self-existent. As distinguished from all of His creation, He’s the only

self-existent one. He is, and He always has been. There’s never been a time He hasn’t existed,

and there will never be a time that He doesn’t exist. “I am that I am” sums it up.

Why is this important?

It’s important because, in the original Hebrew, our Lord and Savior’s name, “Jesus,” is actually

Yahshua (or sometimes spelled “Yahashuah”). And that name quite literally means “YHVH the

Savior.”

In other words, Christ Jesus was (and is) our heavenly Father YHVH, who came to this earth in His

role as the savior of His children. God the Father wouldn’t trust that enormous and precious task

to anyone but Himself, beloved. So He impregnated Mary through a holy miracle, and manifested

Himself in the flesh as “Jesus” (Yahshua) – i.e., YHVH the Savior.

That’s why, in John 14:8 when St. Philip pleaded with Christ, “Lord, shew us the Father, and it

sufficeth us,” Christ replied in John 14:9, “Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not

known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us

the Father?”

As Christ would later say, “I and my ather are one” (John 10:30). Which is precisely why, in I

Timothy 3:16, the beloved St. Paul would say, “God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the

Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into

glory.”

If you want Old Testament documentation to the fact that Jesus was God in the flesh, here’s what

Isaiah 9:6 has to say: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government

shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God,

The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”

I’d wager that, like St. Philip, 99% of Christians today simply don’t grasp that fact that Jesus Christ

was the physical manifestation of our heavenly Father, YHVH. On this earth, Jesus was God in

the flesh. Not a separate God. But God Himself. He was YHVH, our heavenly Father, in his

physical role (or “office,” if you prefer) of the redeeming savior.

In other words, our heavenly Father manifested Himself to us in the flesh, coming down to us in

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order to save us. He took on a tent of flesh. And He gave His own life, shedding His precious

blood in redeeming payment for our sins.

That’s why Christ said in the verse above, “I have manifested thy name unto the men thou has

given me.” He manifested, or “rendered apparent” to His disciples who He really was. For

example, He declared it when He stated, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, before Abraham was, I

am,” using the sacred name of God Almighty to identify Himself.

Let’s continue looking at the key words in the above verse:

The word “gavest” in the above verse (i.e., “the men which thou gavest me out of the world”) is

once again translated from the Greek word did mi (i.e., Strong’s G-1325) meaning to bestow

upon, or to commit to.

Before God ever came to this earth in that flesh tabernacle known as “Jesus” (i.e., YHVH the

Savior), He chose who His earthly disciples would be, and He bestowed them to His physical self,

Christ Jesus. In other words, before God’s faithful servants were ever born into this flesh earth

age, God chose them to be His disciples. He knew them because of their faithfulness to Him in

heaven. And He chose them to serve Him faithfully on this earth.

That’s why Ephesians 1:11-14 says faithful Christians are “predestinated” to serve Him on this

earth. And it’s why our heavenly Father said to the ancient prophet, Jeremiah, “Before I formed

thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I

ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.”

We all used to live in heaven with our ather. It’s where your soul and spirit resided, before being

temporarily placed into these flesh bodies, beloved. And our heavenly Father was not unwilling

to do what He made us do (Hebrews 2:14-16). He too came to this earth in flesh form, born of

woman, just like we were.

If that’s too much to grasp at once, put it on the shelf for awhile, and meditate on it. It will all

make sense to you in time, as you study His Word in more and more depth.

Finally, in John 17:6 above, I hope you didn’t miss that key word “kept” (i.e., “and they have kept

thy word”), being translated from the Greek word t re which we’ve examined earlier, meaning to

watch over so as preserve unmarred, or “to guard from loss or injury by keeping a watchful eye

upon.”

You see, what distinguishes God’s faithful servants from everyone else is that they know who God

actually is, and what He’s done for us, and they just won’t allow God’s Word to be misrepresented,

diluted or adulterated. It’s too precious. And “keeping” it from being diluted or otherwise

distorted brings a multitude of blessings. When it’s distorted by false doctrine or religious

tradition, it becomes void and can’t save anyone.

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So God’s servants faithfully watch over His Word in order to preserve it from loss or injury.

That’s why God sent them here, as servants of His physical self, Christ Jesus. They know that

God’s Word is life itself. He is our existence. Without Him we cannot exist. And because, like

all creation, we were spoken into existence (i.e., “And God said, Let us make man in our own

image...”), it is His Word that did the actual creation. His Word is His creative force. His Word is

from whence all life derives its ability to exist.

As it’s written in John chapter 1:1-3, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God,

and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him;

and without him was not any thing made that was made.”

Yes, “and the Word was God.” God and His Word are One. And Jesus is the Living Word of

God. Ergo, Jesus is God. That’s to say, He is YHVH the Savior, which again, is precisely what

His name means in the original Hebrew language. He’s the physical manifestation of God. In the

heavenly dimension, God is a Spirit (John 4:24). But in material form – the form He used when

He visited us -- He is Jesus Christ (Yahshuah Messiah).

So when Christ prayed, in John 17:5 above, “glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory

which I had with thee before the world was,” He was acknowledging that the crucifixion was about

to take place, and was saying, “It’s now time for Me to return to my former glory in heaven, where

I was your creative force, the very Word that came forth from your mouth.”

And when He prayed, “I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the

world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word,” He’s essentially

saying, “The Plan has worked out exactly as intended. They now know who you are. They know

who I am. And they’re busy at work watching and guarding over your Word of Life, because they

understand how truly precious it is.”

Joh 17:7 Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee.

The word “known” in this verse is translated from that same Greek word gin sk (i.e., Strong’s

G-1097) we looked at earlier, meaning absolute or unshakeable knowledge.

And the word “given” is translated from that same Greek word we looked at earlier, did mi (i.e.,

Strong’s G-1325), meaning to bestow upon, or to commit to.

God’s faithful servants have unshakeable knowledge of the Plan of God. (You can get a free copy

of the Bible study, The our Parts of God’s Plan, by opting in at the “Have Ye Not Read?”

community website).

And God has “given” them (i.e., bestowed them) to Jesus Christ for the specific purpose of helping

bring God’s unvarnished, life-giving truth to the world, exactly as it’s written, without adding

anything to it, or taking anything away from it.

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Indeed, when God’s faithful servants are delivered up to those trials described in Mark 13, for a

testimony against “rulers and kings,” their job in this flesh earth age will be over with. But they’ll

do the same work again, afterwards, during the Millennium teaching period, in one last effort to

help God’s wayward children understand “the difference between the holy and profane” and cause

them to “discern between the unclean and the clean” (Ezekiel 44:23).

That’s their job. And as Jesus Christ was without spot or blemish (I Peter 1:19), so the job of

God’s faithful servants is to present God’s Word to His children without spot or blemish. They

“keep” God’s Word, which is to say, they preserve God’s Word from loss or injury, by guarding

over it with a watchful eye. They won’t let anything be added to His Word, nor taken away from it.

Joh 17:8 For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have

received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed

that thou didst send me.

The word “given” and the word “gavest” in the verse above are both translated from that Greek

word we’ve previously looked at, didomai (i.e., Strong’s G-1325), meaning “to bestow upon.”

Christ bestowed God’s Word of truth upon His disciples. He gave His disciples the very same

words our heavenly Father bestowed upon Him in the flesh. We’re speaking of the Gospel

message, beloved.

The word “received” in the verse above is translated from the Greek word lambano (i.e., Strong’s

2983), meaning “to take.” God’s disciples eagerly took the words Christ gave them. They

recognized the Gospel message as the precious words of Life from God Himself in the flesh.

The phrase “known surely” is translated from two Greek words ginosko alethos (i.e., Strong’s

G-1097 and G-230), meaning “to know truly and with absolute certainty.” By the time of the

crucifixion, the disciples knew with absolute certainty that Christ’s words were true, for they could

verify everything He taught them through the Old Testament Scriptures.

The phrase “came out” in the above verse (i.e., “I came out from thee”) is translated from the

Greek word exerchomai (i.e., Strong’s G-1831) meaning “to issue forth.” But when you break it

back to its original Greek root words, ek and erchomai (i.e., Strong’s G-1537 and G-2064) you’ll

see that it means “to come out from the interior of.” In other words, it’s genitive of origin. Christ

originated from the interior of God. Yes, He is the very Word of God, coming forth from God’s

mouth, and being manifested to us as God in the flesh. God and His Word are One.

Yes, once more, as it’s written, “and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1).

The word “believed” in the above verse is translated from the Greek word pisteuo (i.e., Strong’s

G-4100), which is often translated “to have faith in,” but actually means “a firm commitment of

trust.” The disciples had a firm commitment of trust that Christ, the Living Word, was the Father

Himself manifested in the flesh through the power of His Word.

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And finally, the word “send” in the above verse is translated from the Greek word apostell (i.e.,

Strong’s G-649), meaning “to set apart and send out on a mission.” It’s where we get our English

word “postal,” beloved. Just as the postman is set apart from regular citizens and sent out on a

mission of delivery each day, so too Jesus Christ -- God’s very Word -- was set apart from all other

men and sent out on a mission of delivery for God. His mission was to deliver the Gospel

message to His disciples before giving His life on that cross at Calvary and paying the price for our

sins.

In turn, the mission of His disciples was to take that Gospel message to the world, after the

crucifixion (Mark 16:14-15). That’s why they were called “apostles,” a derivative of the Greek

word apostell . Just as Christ was set apart from all men and sent out on a mission by God, so the

apostles were set apart from all men and sent out on a mission by God. And so are you, beloved.

Your mission is to deliver that word unmarred by church tradition or false doctrine.

So Christ is saying that He gave His disciples the very words our heavenly Father gave Him

regarding the Gospel message, and the disciples eagerly took those words, knowing with absolute

certainty they were true, and having a firm commitment of trust that Jesus Christ and His Gospel

message came straight from the interior of the Father. God, through His Word, manifested

Himself in the flesh to us in order to teach us the way back home to Him.

That’s why God’s servants are so stringent about keeping God’s Word, beloved. They know those

words are the very words that sustain all life. And they know that life cannot exist for us if those

words are allowed to be in any way distorted or diminished with false doctrine or empty religious

tradition.

Joh 17:9 I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me;

for they are thine.

Christ’s disciples on this earth were God’s disciples in the first age. God in turn bestowed them

upon His flesh personage, Christ, in this age. When God came into this earthly flesh tabernacle

known as Jesus Christ, He went to those very same disciples, for He knew He could trust them. He

knows He can trust you, too, beloved, to deliver His Word to others, without adding anything to it

or taking anything away from it.

Joh 17:10 And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them.

There’s a lot in this verse, beloved. But it all comes back to one simple fact, i.e., if you’re “in”

Christ, you’re simultaneously in God, because Christ is God. Christ is glorified (i.e., magnified)

in His faithful servants because they “keep” His Word. He set the example for them, showing

them the way back to God’s eternal family household. And they set the example for all others,

showing them the same path, through the unmarred Gospel message.

Here comes that word “keep” again. Let’s see how Christ uses it here:

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Joh 17:11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to

thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they

may be one, as we are.

Christ acknowledges to the heavenly Father that His crucifixion is at hand. And He prays that

Father keep (i.e., guard from loss or injury by carefully watching over) His disciples, that they

might operate as one body in Christ, just as God and Christ operate as one body.

You are a walking, talking representative of your Lord and Savior, beloved. And that means you

represent God Himself.

Joh 17:12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou

gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture

might be fulfilled.

The words translated “kept” in this verse, and the word “lost” are opposites. “Kept,” as we’ve

seen, means to guard from loss or injury by carefully watching over. But the word “lost” is

translated from the Greek word apollumi (i.e., Strong’s G-622), meaning “to destroy fully.”

You’re either kept by God’s Word, or you’re lost, beloved. And as we learned earlier in our study

of Revelation 3, those who keep (i.e., preserve) God’s Word by watching over it are in turn kept

(i.e., preserved) by Him who watches over them.

But those who don’t “keep” (i.e., guard over with open eyes so as to preserve from loss or injury)

God’s Word are lost. That’s why it’s written in Matthew 7:21-23 that at Christ’s Second Advent

many Christians will run up to Him crying out loud, “Lord! Lord!” but he will turn to them and

say, “I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

Why? Because they didn’t “keep” God’s Word, beloved. They kept false doctrine and empty

religious tradition, instead, and applied Christ’s name to it. That simply doesn’t cut the mustard

with your heavenly Father. Playing church is not the same as being a Christian (i.e., a

Christ-man).

In short, in the above verse Christ tells the ather regarding His disciples, “While I was here, I

watched over them and guarded them from loss or injury, in your name. Not one of your servants

has been destroyed except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.”

Yes, Christ even spoke with Satan – the son of perdition -- while He was on this earth. If you’ll

remember, it was during His temptation in the wilderness. Satan was the only entity completely

lost to Him. And why? Because as always, Satan tried to dilute and distort God’s Word in hopes

Christ would bow to Him (i.e. Luke 4:1-13). He used twisted Scripture to try to tempt Christ.

If you don’t work to “keep” God’s Word, but instead, work to distort and dilute it with empty

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traditions and false doctrine, then God won’t “keep” you, either. You’re a goner, short of that

sincere turn of heart and mind that makes for genuine repentance.

Joh 17:13 And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might

have my joy fulfilled in themselves.

The crucifixion was no picnic, beloved. Isaiah 52:14 tells us regarding Christ, “his visage was so

marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men.” In other words, He was

whipped and beaten to the point of unrecognizability.

But at the same time, giving His life for God’s wayward children was a great joy to Him. He

knew multitudes would be saved, in the end (Revelation 7:9). And He wanted His faithful

servants to experience that great joy as well, as opposed to the flesh sadness of temporarily losing

Him in such an awful manner.

Joh 17:14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are

not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

You might not realize it, but we’re here behind enemy lines, beloved. This world is not our home.

And as long as we’re in the flesh, Christ is not the God of this world. And He won’t be until the

seventh trumpet blows and He returns, at which time we’ll all be given new spiritual bodies “in the

twinkling of an eye” (I Corinthians 15:52).

As it’s written in Revelation 11:15, “And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices

in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his

Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.”

Until that seventh trumpet blows, as long as we’re in the flesh we’re operating inside of Satan’s

kingdom. He’s the “god of this world” who has “blinded the minds of them which believe not,

lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them” (2

Corinthians 4:4). In other words, Satan runs this flesh world age, and he works to pull God’s

children away from the Lord, corrupting and debasing them so that they’re unfit for God’s eternal

family household.

So you can see why Christ would say of His faithful disciples “they are not of the world, even as I

am not of the world.” We’re here on a mission behind enemy lines to hold up the plumb-bob of

truth to a corrupt and disbelieving world. It’s our job. And as you’re about to see, because the

world hates us so much, Christ asks the heavenly ather to “keep” us (i.e., guard us from loss or

injury by watching over us).

Joh 17:15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou

shouldest keep them from the evil.

In Dr. Bullinger’s sidenotes in The Companion Bible, he points out that Christ actually asks the

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ather to keep His faithful servants from “the evil one,” not merely “the evil.”

This world itself is basically evil. But Christ doesn’t want His faithful servants taken out of it.

They have a job to do. Their job is to “keep” (i.e., watch over so as to guard from loss or injury)

God’s Word. So Christ asks the ather to “keep” (i.e., watch over so as to guard from loss or

injury) His Faithful servants from being deceived by the evil one in the course of our relatively

short stay behind enemy lines.

Joh 17:16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

Again, this flesh world is not our permanent home, beloved. One day it will be over, and there

will be no more flesh. Our home is the spiritual world to come -- New Jerusalem -- which we read

of earlier in our look at some of the verse in Revelation chapter 3.

Joh 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

“Sanctify” means to make holy. And the Old Testament word “holy” simply means set apart to

God for a specific purpose. We are set apart to God for the specific purpose of “keeping”

(preserving) His Word of truth. And that truth brings life to all who sincerely embrace it with

understanding.

Joh 17:18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the

world.

Christ’s faithful servants are on a mission for Him – a mission to bring the unvarnished and

unmarred Gospel truth to anyone and everyone who will listen.

So if you’d like to know who sent you into this flesh world on His behalf, it’s your Lord and Savior

Jesus Christ, the Living Word of God. Why? Because He trusts you to “keep” (i.e., watch over

and guard from loss or injury) His Word. He knows you can do it, in spite of what might, in some

instances, seem like insurmountable odds or unsustainable pressure.

Joh 17:19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through

the truth.

Just as Christ was set apart to God for a specific purpose, so are we, through the truth. We “keep”

(i.e., guard from loss or injury by watching over”) that truth, and in turn he “keeps” us from

deception while the rest of the world wallows in it wholeheartedly as their new chosen “reality.”

Joh 17:20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me

through their word;

Christ includes in His beautiful prayer those who come to believe on Him after hearing His faithful

servants teach His Word. And this is not just referring to the individuals you might preach to

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from time to time during the course of your life. Great multitudes will be woken up to the truth

when God’s faithful servants are delivered up to those trials described in Mark 13, and God’s

Word flows forth from their mouths, with God doing the speaking through them (Mark 13:11).

Here, Christ asks the Father to sanctify them all, i.e., those who faithfully speak His Word to

others, and those who understand and embrace what’s been spoken.

Joh 17:21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also

may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

The ultimate goal is to bring the eternal family household back together again as one whole unit,

operating in blissful unison with God and His Word.

That’s why it’s so important that we “keep” His Word, beloved. We studied this in Revelation

chapter 3 earlier, when we looked at the magnificent blessings of God bestowed upon those who

“keep” His Word.

In doing this job, we ultimately become “one” with God, just as Christ was “one” with God. In

other words, in the eternity, the many-membered faithful body carries forth God’s Word and

God’s Holy Spirit, within themselves. They are the “New Jerusalem.” They are “YHVH Shamah,”

i.e., YHVH is there. Because He is there, within them.

Joh 17:22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be

one, even as we are one:

Wow. That’s an awesome verse, beloved. As it’s written in Revelation 3:21, “To him that

overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with

my Father in his throne.”

In other words, it means you’re a co-heir to the Kingdom with Christ, and will co-rule with Him.

That’s a very humbling thought. But as it’s written, “Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's

good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32).

There’s a lot more than meets the eye to being “one” with God and His Savior. Meditate on it.

Pray on it. And ask God to continue to reveal it to you. I’m not saying we’re to become “God.”

Please don’t mistake me. Nor am I talking about some New Age “we’re all little gods” nonsense.

I’m saying that in the eternity, God operates through us, and from within us, just as He operates

through and from within Christ Jesus now.

After all, we’re the body of Christ. And if you’re sincerely serving the Lord and working to

preserve His Word from loss or injury. God’s in-dwelling Holy Spirit gradually becomes your

spiritual operating system. You’re operating within Him (as part of His many-membered body),

and He’s operating within and through you, via the in-dwelling of the Holy Spirit. And that’s how

He gets things done.

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So as members of His many-membered body, we will indeed rule and reign with Him (Revelation

20:4-6). Naturally, we have to remember that He’s the Head of that many-membered body. And

without the Head the body can do nothing. But the closeness of the relationship being described

here between God and His faithful servants is a very humbling thought. Consider it in terms of the

relationship between your head and your hands. You probably get most of your work done with

your hands. Yet your hands are subject to your head. It’s your head that that guides your hand.

The head and the hand are both part of the same body, working in precision tandem with each

other. That’s the picture I’m trying to draw for you here. We’ll rule throughout the eternity in

precision tandem with Him. We have His Word on it. All we have to do in return is “keep” His

Word.

Joh 17:23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that

the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.

Christ in us, and God in Christ, that we might be “made perfect” (i.e., complete, mature) in one.

In other words, through Christ we’ll be part of the divine ruling council of Almighty God. And

ultimately the people of this world will know that Christ and His faithful many-membered body

were sent by the Father to help them become part of that same working body. It’s a family

household, beloved, operating as a single-minded unit.

But in the meantime, we’re still here behind enemy lines. And therefore it’s no big surprise to us

that “ye shall be hated of all men for my namesake” (Mark 13:13).

In other words, for “keeping” His precious Word, you’ll also suffer tribulation. And that’s because

the world is not yet ready to become part of the many-membered body -- the single-minded family

household of God in Christ.

or the most part, the world doesn’t listen because Satan still has their little knickers tied up in

knots. But we’re working to put a stop to that, one knot at a time if need be, by “keeping” God’s

Word. The millennium teaching period will be their final opportunity to join with the rest of us in

“keeping” God’s Word, which are the words of life itself.

Joh 17:24 Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am;

that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the

foundation of the world.

When Christ says “ ather, I will that...” He’s including into this prayer what you might think of as

His “last will and testament.”

In other words, He’s about to die on that cross, and in that sense, He’s writing His will into this

prayer. He states that it’s part and parcel of His will that all of His faithful servants who were

given to Him by God get to be with Him throughout the eternity and behold His glory, which is to

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say, His dignity and His honor. What a beautiful will! What a beautiful inheritance!

Joh 17:25 O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and

these have known that thou hast sent me.

Again, the word “known” as used in this verse, and throughout Christ’s prayer, is translated from

the Greek word ginosko (i.e., Strong’s G-1097), meaning to know absolutely, or to know for a

certainty.

The world does not know God. But Christ knew Him, because He is the physical manifestation of

God. He set the example for us, teaching God’s Word exactly as it’s written, without adding

anything to it, or leaving anything out of it. He “kept” God’s Word. And we’re to do the same.

It’s a major part of our mission on this earth.

But you’ve got to know God’s Word in order to know God. The disciples knew beyond any

shadow of a doubt that Christ had been sent by God. They knew, because it was written of in

Isaiah chapters 9, 52 and 53, plus Psalm 22, chapter 9 of the book of Daniel and many other places

in the Old Testament Scriptures. And they watched with their own eyes as He fulfilled Scripture

passage after passage through His actions.

Joh 17:26 And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love

wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.

The words “declared” and “declare” in the above verse are translated from the Greek word gn ri

(i.e., Strong’s G-1107), meaning “to make known,” “to certify,” “to declare” or even “to give to

understand.” That word is a root of the Greek word ginosko, which we looked at in previous

verses, meaning to know something for an absolute certainty.

Christ is saying that He has declared (i.e., made known) God’s name to His disciples. And that He

will indeed declare it once again, at His Second Advent.

And the point of declaring the ather’s name to His disciples?

We discussed this earlier in John 17:6. Review that passage if you need to. Christ had let His

disciples know that He was God in the flesh. He was, and is, the physical manifestation of our

heavenly Father, YHVH, having come to this earth to sacrifice His own life in payment for our

sins.

But there’s more to it.

You see, whether you’re speaking in the Hebrew tongue, or the Greek tongue, the word translated

“name” has almost precisely the same meaning. In the Hebrew language the word “name” is

translated from the Hebrew word sh m. And in the Greek language it’s translated from the Greek

word onoma.

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Both of them mean virtually the same thing. They refer to the honor, authority and character

behind the name. They refer to the conspicuous position held by the person -- the person’s rank and

public renown. Let’s take a look at the definitions of both the Hebrew and the Greek words

translated “name”:

H8034

ם ש

sh m

shame

A primitive word (perhaps rather from H7760 through the idea of definite and conspicuous

position; compare H8064); an appellation, as a mark or memorial of individuality; by

implication honor, authority, character: - + base, [in-] fame [-ous], name (-d), renown,

report.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

G3686

onoma

on'-om-ah

From a presumed derivative of the base of G1097 (compare G3685); a “name” (literally or

figuratively), (authority, character): - called, (+ sur-) name (-d).

You see, in olden times, a man’s name was considered to be part and parcel of his family

reputation. And men worked hard to maintain a “good name,” which is to say, an unsullied

reputation. One’s honor, authority and character were imbued within the family name. The

name embodied the person’s hard-earned position in life.

And so it was that every man protected His family name at all costs. If a son or daughter, for

example, dishonored the family name, then short of sincere repentance, including change of heart

and mind, that son or daughter could be disowned and cast out of the family. That’s how crucial

protecting the family name was considered to be.

And so it is with God. God’s divine name, YHVH, which is also Christ’s name (i.e., Yahshuah

means “YHVH the Savior”) is intimately associated with His personal honor, authority and

character.

So when Christ tells the ather than He’s declared unto His disciples the ather’s name, He’s

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saying He’s declared unto them the ather’s honor, authority and character. In other words, He’s

declared that Father is a man of His Word.

That’s why it’s so vitally important to “keep God’s Word,” beloved. When you watch over God’s

Word in order to guard it from loss or injury, you’re honoring God by keeping intact His honor,

authority and character.

Keep in mind that we’re told in the great book of Revelation that when Christ returns at His Second

Advent to take vengeance on His enemies, He will be “clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and

his name is called The Word of God” (Revelation 19:13).

Think about that. His name is His Word, beloved. They’re one and the same. In other words,

His name and His Word are inextricably tied together, because they both reflect His honor,

authority and character.

That’s why it’s such a privilege to “keep His Word.” It’s not mere obedience to His Word. It’s

much more than that. While the rest of the world cruelly and cavalierly denigrates His name and

dilutes and distorts His Word with false doctrine and empty religious traditions, God’s faithful

servants are here to “bodyguard” His Word and His name, so to speak.

We’re here to help preserve His name – which Revelation 19:13 tells us is “the Word of God” --

from being tarnished by His enemies. We’re here to help guard His Word (and thus His name)

from loss or injury through careful watching over.

And why? Because His name is a reflection of His honor, authority and character. And His

Word is a reflection of His precious family name. He is YHVH, our heavenly Father. The great

“I am that I am.” The Self-Existent One.

So to be chosen to help preserve His Word -- which is a reflection of His name -- from loss or

injury in the face of the growing mass apostasy we see in the world today, is an honor beyond

comprehension.

But we’re part and parcel of His many-membered body. And if we remain faithful to the task of

“keeping” His Word/Name, we’re destined to sit in His throne with Him as co-heirs and co-rulers

(Revelation 3:21). Indeed, He will operate through us. We are simply His vessels that carry out

His will, as directed from the in-dwelling Holy Spirit. Does that make sense to you?

That means His family name is our family name, as well. That’s why we’re told in Revelation

chapter three, which we studied earlier, that He writes His name upon us. Again, please don’t

mistake what I’m saying. There’s only one true God, beloved. But we’re part of His

many-membered body. Thus, for us, His name, which is a reflection of His Word, must remain

unsullied, because it’s our family name, as well. Eternally.

Christ is in the ather. And we’re in Christ. And Christ is in us through the in-dwelling of the

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Holy Spirit of God. It’s one big happy family, all together as one. That’s the lesson of unity

given in Christ’s beautiful prayer to the ather in John chapter 17 above. That was the Lord’s goal

in giving His life for our sins, i.e., to bring God’s children together as one into His family

household, and to place His family name upon them.

When you “keep God’s Word,” you’re acting to guard over and preserve from loss or injury the

honor, authority and character of the family name, which is intricately tied to the Word of God.

They are essentially one and the same.

There are great blessings involved in protecting and preserving the family name, and keeping it

intact. It means a lot to your heavenly Father. More than you might know. And it should mean a

lot to you, too. It’s an honor bestowed upon only a small handful, beloved. As it’s further

written in the great book of Ezekiel:

Ez 44:15 -- But the priests the Levites, the sons of Zadok, that kept the charge of my

sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from me, they shall come near to me to

minister unto me, and they shall stand before me to offer unto me the fat and the blood,

saith the Lord GOD:

Ez 44:16 -- They shall enter into my sanctuary, and they shall come near to my table, to

minister unto me, and they shall keep my charge.

The word “charge” in the above two verses means “a watch,” as in a person manning a sentry post.

That sentry post is over His sanctuary, beloved.

The word “sanctuary” means a consecrated thing or place. His Word is where we take our

sanctuary, beloved (Psalm 91:1-2). And we are His sanctuary, meaning we’re His

many-membered body in which He dwells. That’s why it’s so important to preserve the sanctuary

unmarred. It’s composed of His Word which dwells inside of us, and His many-membered body,

in which He in-dwells.

And of course the words “kept” and “keep” are translated from the Hebrew word shamar, which is

akin to the Greek word we’ve been studying, tereo, and which has the same meaning, i.e., “to

preserve from loss or injury by watching over.”

When the “children of Israel” -- representing Christians of today -- go astray from the Lord in

order to chase after their fly-away “Jesus” who is in reality the antichrist, God’s faithful servants

the Zadok (i.e., “the just,” or perhaps better stated, “the justified”), preserve that watch over God’s

sanctuary.

In other words, they don’t abandon the sentry post of the sanctuary. They keep a watchful eye on

everything for the Lord. They are “...the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the

whole earth” who help Zerubbabel hold up that plumb-bob of truth we know as the Word of God.

(Zechariah 4:10).

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Those who don’t abandon the sentry post of God’s sanctuary when the antichrist comes onto the

scene, but instead “kept the watch” (i.e., preserved the sentry post) unto the very end, watching

over and guarding God’s Word from loss or injury, will be the ones who get to dwell and rule with

Christ in His Holy sanctuary throughout the eternity.

And one of the major blessings of keeping His Word is that He’ll rule and operate within you and

through you in the eternity. or your faithfulness to His Word, now, He’ll make His Word your

eternal operating system, then and forever. What an awesome blessing for remaining faithful to

His Word and guarding over it so as to preserve it unmarred and unblemished from the world.

And that’s what it means to “keep” God’s Word.

-- End --

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